


Something Stranger Than Ghosts

by fucking-androids (Reyire), scruffyperv (Vyntacular)



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, Eventual Kink, I'll mark chapters where things get extra weird or dark, Inappropriate Behavior, M/M, Mentions of Rape, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Sex Trafficking, Sex workers, This is a bit of a bag of cats, alcohol use, cigarette use, eventual explicit sexual situations, general abuse, past CSA, suicidal idealization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-11-26 08:00:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18177992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reyire/pseuds/fucking-androids, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vyntacular/pseuds/scruffyperv
Summary: For Gavin Reed, survival has become more of a personal challenge than a basic need. In the end, all of his achievements mean nothing and never helped him sleep at night. But he was living, that was the important part. Right?Hank Anderson, Lieutenant of the DPD, Decorated Officer from the Vice Task Force, Professional Alcoholic and Fuck Up, has been at odds with Gavin since the younger man entered his department a few years back and they began their personal war for the position of Lieutenant.Hank would honestly just give it all up, but his friends in the DPD seem stubbornly insistent on keeping him there.RK800 has been assigned a special task: he is to take prototype RK900 into his first field test and assess his stability in real life situations. Connor is excited and nervous. Rick has always been ‘unique’ as far as androids went, but he’s got faith that his brother will be just fine.He hopes.





	1. Software Instability

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said in the tags, this fic is a bit of a bag of cats. I'll start off any chapters containing heavy content with a proper warning, so no one's going to run into any horrible surprises. Do feel free to ask questions! I've got more background info on this thing than will probably ever make it into the fic, so yeah, ask away.

Gavin felt immediate regret for choosing to come to work today.

He’d had a rough night and despite feeling restless and exhausted, he’d come in to work because he had a meeting with the Captain about some new assignments. They’d been inundated with new cases involving androids going rogue and what have you and, honestly, he’d welcome whatever help the Captain had apparently come up with. Instead he found himself staring in frustration at Lieutenant Anderson’s empty fucking desk while the Captain shouted obscenities from his office. From the looks of it, he was on the phone and the call was probably going to Hank’s voicemail. Apparently those two had known each other for years, way back before Hank had ever come to join them at the DPD.

Chris elbowed him playfully as he passed. “You know he won’t be in until at _least_ noon,” the officer ‘helpfully’ supplied as he made his way to his own desk.

“Fucking drunk, we have a meeting.”

“Hank’s had it rough, Gavin, give him a break.”

“Bullshit.”

Gavin snarled and stormed off to the rooftop. He needed a smoke, needed some air, just needed to be away from all of the frustration. He leaned against the railing, staring down at the city below, and puffed on his cigarette. He felt a little better, even if the snow whipping around his face made him feel weary and nostalgic. His leg tapped restlessly on the ground and he glared down at the shaking limb.

“Phck. Gotta relax, I really can’t fucking do this today.”

All he had to do was make it through the day until his meeting and then he could just, fucking take the day off and have a ‘play date’ with a flogger or something. He took another deep drag off of his cigarette and forced himself to let it out in a long, even exhale. Everything would be just —

“Hey Gavin!” He recognized the voice instantly. Tina, an old academy friend, somehow got him for the mess he was and hadn’t gotten fed up with his attitude over the years. He had a good feeling it was because she was one of the few people who didn’t shrink away from telling him when he was being a prick. It was one of his extremely few remaining friendships. “You _have_ to see this.”

“What’s up? Another crazy ‘deviant’ report?”

“Oh no, so much better: Your pal, Anderson, just got escorted in by a _plastic detective_. He’s _belligerent_!”

Gavin couldn’t hold back his bark of laughter. “Okay, fuck, yeah I do need to see this.” It’d be a damned riot, that’s for sure and he could use a laugh right about now.

They strolled back into the precinct together, chatting cheerfully about the mad world they lived in and the weird fucking android issues they’d been having, only to do a double take. There was an android talking with Lieutenant Anderson — more accurately, being yelled at by him — but there was something about him. He’d never seen a model like that before and something about it just.. bugged him.

“Take a look at the old man’s face!” Tina was snickering behind him.

Of course, that’s when he was spotted by the Captain. Tina waved conspiratorially as the Captain’s voice called out, summoning him and Anderson into his office. Great. Tina hd apparently been in on this to begin with. He pointed at her accusingly. _Traitor!_ he mouthed. She knew he wouldn't be able to resist seeing Hank pissed off! Then turned and sulked into Fowler’s office.

Lieutenant Anderson and the weird android were already in the office, with Anderson shouting at Fowler while Fowler rolled his eyes.

“Hank, I _told_ you there’d be a meeting this morning…”

“Why the fuck would you send a god-damned _android_ to hunt me down!?”

“Excuse me, detective, but I took that initiative myself. Cyber Life sent us to look into the increased deviant cases and your absence was an unnecessary waste of time and resources.” 

The android was very matter of fact about his statement, but Gavin had to smirk at how it set Hank off. Though, again, something nagged at him. As Hank set in bitching at Fowler, Gavin found himself dwelling on the word. Us? He leaned back in his chair and almost immediately found himself peering into the eyes of a second android. This android was taller and broader than the one Anderson was talking to, but his eyes…

Gavin’s mouth felt oddly dry and the room felt suffocatingly small. He shook himself for a moment, trying to push the disoriented feeling away. 

***

_Software Instability_

The android’s LED, once a steady blue, had begun to pulse as their eyes met. He leaned forward from the chair he was sitting in to offer Detective Reed his hand in greeting.

“Detective Reed, I am RK900 or Rick. I look forward to working with you for the duration of this investigation.” 

The detective did not react as expected. He stood up abruptly, chair squeaking as he pushed it back. “What the fuck is this??” When the Captain snapped at him for his behavior, the detective snapped back. “No! Fuck you and fuck this!”

Rick was startled as the detective refused to even touch him and took off from the room. Even worse was the strange, irresistible urge to follow after him. Something was clearly wrong, even though he had no idea what it was. They’d only just met… why would Detective Reed have this reaction?

_Software Instability_

Rick knew he should be worried about the red text that popped up in his peripheral vision but he couldn’t let this go, he needed — and before he could even process it, he was already on his feet and following Reed out the door.

***

While Hank and Fowler bickered, Connor had been keeping an eye on Rick. RK900 was a special unit, a prototype, and it was his job to assess how he was functioning in his first ‘field test’. They had told him that Rick was to be paired with Lieutenant Anderson due to his previous involvement with higher government functions. Rick had been given this information as well.

That said, Connor was more than a little shocked when he took an interest in Detective Reed, going so far as to change his mission summary to accompany this information.

“Rick —“ And he was gone, chasing after Reed. “What?”

Hank had gone silent as both Reed and Rick stormed out of the office, but he suddenly stood up, cursed at Fowler, and stormed out as well. Connor was left standing in the office, LED flashing red as he tried to process protocol in this situation.

This was not the first time Rick had been… spontaneous… but this was the first time he’d gone off on his own initiative. He started toward the door, paused, and looked back toward the Captain. “Excuse me, Captain. I apologize for the disturbance.” Without waiting for a reply, he hurried out after the others.

Fowler was left sitting at his desk, an incredulous expression on his face. “And they told me android detectives would be more productive.”

***

Rick stopped short in front of the men’s restroom. He’d seen Detective Reed disappear into it but he wasn’t sure how he felt about following the man inside. He hesitated outside the door, his LED rolling in yellow cycles as he tried to predict the best course of action.

He’d come to no real conclusion by the time Reed came barreling back out of the room, still clearly in distress and rushed towards the exit. Their eyes met extremely briefly and he could tell that the other man had been crying.

_Software Instability_

"Detective Reed, what —" Rick hadn’t been able to catch up until they’d reached the door. He gently but firmly grasped the detective’s shoulder.

“Get your hands off of me!” Gavin practically shrieked and tried to shrug away the android’s hand.

“I apologize for my presence making you uncomfortable. Is there any way we can resolve this?”

“No, there’s nothing. Just stay the fuck away from me. I’m not working with some plastic _dick_.”

Rick’s hand remained clutched onto the detective’s shoulder as Gavin tried again to shrug him off.

“Don’t cry, Gavin ..” the android said softly.

They both looked at each other in shock and that gave Gavin the out he needed to finally pull away. He sprinted towards a waiting cab and Rick remained frozen in place, watching him leave.

_Software Instability_

_Software Instability_

_Software Instability_

***

“Rick!” Connor called out to the other android but there was no response. “Rick?”

He turned to acknowledge Connor with a soft shake of his head. “That outburst was out of line, Connor. I apologize.”

Connor’s expression turned quizzical. “What would make you run off like that? You’d never met that man before today. Why are you so interested in him?”

“I couldn’t .. help myself.” Rick looked disturbed.

“We will go do a software check.” Connor insisted. “You are fairly new after all. There could be bugs.” Was RK900 malfunctioning already? This would be bad news for the project. He sent off an error report to the company quickly, though it made him feel a little guilty to ‘tattle’ on his ‘brother’.

… was _he_ malfunctioning?

“Yes.” Rick agreed firmly after a moment. “I shouldn’t have this feeling that something is wrong. That I need to find him or I’ll never see him again. This is .. inappropriate.”

Connor frowned deeply. “Strange. There’s no evidence the Detective is in any kind of danger. We know from our files that he is occasionally prone to outbursts.”

“He was crying though .. that wasn’t in the files.” Rick pressed.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Connor gently guided Rick to a more secluded area to perform maintenance on his companion. “Lets focus on you instead. Just some startup bugs, I’m sure.” he said soothingly.

Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what was happening … with either of them.


	2. I don’t want to remember…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is where the story starts to get a little heavy.
> 
> This chapter has mentions of Child Sexual Abuse - sex trafficking and sex work in particular. It does contain some inappropriate behavior for a child, but nothing explicit happens.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> \----

_24 years ago…_

The nights had gotten increasingly colder. Gavin squared his shoulders, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and trudged against the wind while it cut mercilessly through his threadbare clothes. He’d arrived in this little city not far from Detroit almost six months ago and he'd been doing fine… but now the weather was turning and he had no where to go. For a moment he found himself longing for the warmth and relative safety of that damned pimp’s house… but he’d run away for a reason and he wasn’t about to go back. He could do this, he was smart and resourceful and apparently very attractive to old guys.

Here, this was the place. He’d heard a John talking about it, a sex shop with a naughty reputation, and if one John hung out here, others would as well. Maybe he’d find a generous rich guy to take him in out of the cold? It took a bit, but eventually someone did come out. Dumpy-looking guy, smoking a cigarette, and carrying a bag of his recent purchases. 

For a second he caught the man’s eye and flashed him a coy little smile. “Can I bum a cigarette offa ya?”

“Kids shouldn’t be smoking,” he replied but there was already interest in his eyes. 

_Gotcha_ , Gavin thought as he made his way closer to the man. “Kids shouldn’t be out in this cold either, but a cigarette could help.”

“You’re a little con artist, eh?” But the man was standing in front of him now and had produced a cigarette for him.

Gavin leaned in, “I can be more than a con artist.” He ran his tongue along his lips, pleased to watch the gross man’s eyes follow the movement of his tongue. “For fifty bucks I could be your little boy all night long.” 

He popped the cigarette in his mouth and pressed up against the man to use his already lit cigarette to light his own. When he leaned back on his heels, his mark was practically drooling. Gavin smiled sweetly as he took a puff off the cigarette.

“What do ya say, Daddy?”

He never got an answer. Instead a voice called out to them: “David! I didn’t realize you had a son!”

David, as he was apparently called, nearly jumped out of his skin and he put at least two feet between them in one startled jump. Gavin frowned slightly and turned to see who had interrupted them. It immediately felt like the world had fallen out from under him. His heart was racing, the cold meant absolutely nothing to his burning skin, and he was frozen in his spot. For a moment Gavin wasn’t sure if love at first sight was such a bullshit concept after all.

Gavin didn’t catch the words this guy was prattling on about, all he could focus on was this man’s handsome face and how fucking badly he wanted to kiss those perfect fucking lips. Then David was gone. Gavin blinked, suddenly aware that his money had departed.

“What the fuck…” He muttered in frustration as he tucked his hands back into his pockets and started walking.

“You’re coming with me.”

“Like hell—“ Gavin didn’t get any further before the man caught him by the hood of his hoodie and stopped him dead in his tracks. “Hey! Let go of me!”

“I’ll give you seventy five, to stay with night with me.”

Gavin frowned down at the snow, still puffing on his cigarette, and then slowly glanced back at the handsome man. And fuck was he still just as gorgeous as before. Yeah, okay, he could definitely sleep with this guy. This would be a fucking treat.

“If you wanted my ass that badly you could’ve just said so.”

His glare was colder than the fucking winter nights in Michigan. Gavin shivered. “I have no intention of doing anything with your ass. I just don’t want it freezing off in the snow storm tonight.”

Oh, now that was disappointing. “Really? You don’t have to be shy… I’ll let you be my daddy for the night.” He caught the flicker in the man’s gaze but he couldn’t read it properly. Displeasure? Interest? Hmm… “Or are you more the Sir kind of guy?”

The man just shook his head and started walking. “How about you just call me Nines.”

“What kind of name is “Nines”?”

“A nickname.”

“Whatever.” Gavin rolled his eyes and stared at the ground. “Just call me Gavin then.”

“Nice to meet you, Gavin.”

“Same, I guess.”

Nines never did lay a hand on him. He made him take a shower, and even made him dinner. While they ate, they talked, and Gavin was baffled to find that chatting with Nines was actually enjoyable. Usually small talk felt tedious, but listening to Nines talk was like listening to one of those perfectly narrated audio books.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but how did you end up in this situation, kid?”

Gavin was helping him wash dishes. He’d never done anything like that before and it was oddly pleasant at Nines’ side. He hesitated for a moment and then shrugged. “Whatever, no harm telling. The pimp that I was living with said my parents sold me to him for like… drug debts or something. I don’t know if it is fucking true or not, but whatever, that’s where I was… I don’t remember a lot about my parents, which I guess is pretty fucked up too, I think they were just gone a lot.” He was clutching the edge of the sink so tightly that his hands hurt. Slowly he forced his fingers to relax. “But the old prick was worse than being alone… I…” There was suddenly a hand on his head, gently tussling his short hair. Gavin bit his lip, unable to look up, unwilling to see the pity in Nines’ eyes. “I hid enough cash from my jobs, and I caught a bus… So here I am.”

Nines’ hand didn’t move for a long while, he just gently stroked Gavin’s hair and, unable to resist the urge, he slowly leaned into the comforting touch. His eyes burned and that was fucking stupid, but damnit it felt good to have Nines touch him.

“You can stay here, Gavin. You don’t have to go back out there.”

Gavin froze, his heart hammering louder than he thought it ever had before. “Really?” God he sounded like a child.

“Of course.”

They finished washing the dishes while Gavin’s heart pounded wildly in his chest. Was this what it felt like to be loved? To be in love? He’d never had that before, but the idea of being with Nines… It made him happier than he’d ever been. When they finished, Nines invited Gavin to watch TV on the sofa, and then excused himself to his room.

Gavin flopped onto the sofa, glowing with pleasure over how the night had gone, and flipped through the TV channels. Nines had like all of them, but Gavin couldn’t focus on any of them. His thoughts kept returning to Nines over and over again until his body was burning and all he could think about was the handsome man’s hand in his hair, the closeness of his body.

Thoughtlessly, he pushed off the sofa and made his way across the house to Nines’ bedroom. When he slipped inside the lights were off and he could see the silhouette of Nines in his bed. He climbed in bed with him and slowly straddled the older man, pressing his ass down against Nines’ crotch. The response was immediate. Nines eyes flashed open and his hands shot up to catch Gavin’s hips as a strangled hiss escaped his lips.

“What… are you doing Gavin?”

Gavin gasped, trembling with excitement. He pressed down against Nines again, moaning softly at the feeling of his fingers tightening on his hips. “I… I want you, Nines. I’ve never wanted anyone like this.”

“I don’t sleep with kids.” There was tightness to his voice, but it was still firm - unquestionable. He meant was he was saying.

“I’m not a kid.”

“Yes. Yes you are. I’ll take you to the guest room, but you will not be staying in my bed, Gavin.”

Gavin shuddered, whimpering softly. “But Nines…”

“No.”

That was it. There was nothing else. Gavin felt tears spilling down his cheeks before he realized he was crying. He pulled away from the older man and Nines let him go without protest. Somehow Gavin found his way into the guest room even as the tears blinded him and collapsed miserably into the bed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually cried, but he also couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever thought he was in love like this before. He thought… He’d been foolish to believe that Nines had felt the same pull that he had, that love at first sight and soulmates existed. He was just a whore and nothing else.

He should’ve accepted that ages ago.

***

Morning came and he collected his freshly cleaned clothes, got dressed, and started for the door.

“I was going to make you breakfast,” Nines clarified. 

Gavin shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’m good. Thanks for the offer.”

There was a moment of silence as Gavin slipped on his shoes and then Nines spoke up, his calm voice momentarily tinted with emotion that Gavin couldn’t pinpoint. “It’s too cold for a jacket like that… Take this.” The older man pulled a coat out of nearby closet and thrust it at the boy. It was an old varsity jacket, much too large for him, but considerably thicker than his current hoodie. “Just take it,” Nines insisted.

Gavin slid it on and zipped it up, sealing the warmth of Nines’ home in with him. “Thanks.” His finger ran over the double nines embroidered on the front. Nines. Of course. A smile touched his lips for a moment before pain burst through his chest again. Before he could get choked up or cry again, he turned and bolted.

He was going to keep this damn jacket forever.


	3. Fuckin' Androids

This was all… Fucking bizarre, that’s what it was. 

Hank fucked off when everyone else ran out to be crazy, and escorted himself back to the bar where Connor had found him. He was going to continue drinking this afternoon away, and now he had an even better reason than he already _had_.

Fowler knew his past, knew what he’d fucking been through, and he _agreed_ to this?! These damned androids looked like fucking _clones_ of his old partner! Well, not the lithe nosy one, but the quiet, tall one was close enough to make him feel like he was seeing ghosts. If he contacted people from his old sector he’d probably just get the run around with only a vague acknowledgement on the fact that Rick had _clearly_ participated in some early android testing.

Couldn’t fucking blame them, either. Rick had been a good agent and a good man. He could only imagine what an android modeled off of him would be like in the field.

He ordered something strong enough to hopefully bash his memory into little pieces and help him forget this whole damn thing had happened. What really irked him was that Rick had just run off after Gavin like it was the most natural thing in the world and… 

Well, when you see the ghost of your old partner, you typically expect them to come haunt you.

He knocked back his drink so fast that the bartender gave him a disapproving look and then he slumped down to lay his face in his hands. Whatever. This was all just some more fucked up android shit. He’d be happy to see the whole lot of them thrown out. The world would make a hell of a lot more sense again without all these mechanical nannies wiping peoples’ asses for them.

“Fucking androids,” he muttered before looking up to find the bartender again. “Another one, Jimmy?”

“Having a rough day, huh Hank?”

“Fucking tell me about it,” he groaned. “Just… make it a double, and if I pass out, just get me hauled into a fuckin’ taxi.”

Jimmy was shaking his head, but they’d formed a sturdy working relationship. That was to say, he always paid his tab and he drank all fucking day. It worked. “Sure thing, Hank.”

***

Rick blinked a few times and turned to look at Connor by his side. His software check had just finished. “Any problems?”

“None that I can see,” Connor replied, puzzled. “Just some normal errors, but your system took care of them. There’s nothing major.” He frowned. “I will keep monitoring the situation.”

“Thank you, Connor.” the other android replied genuinely as he stood up. “If that’s settled for now, I think we should try to find both the Lieutenant and Detective Reed again. Waiting like this is bad for the investigation.”

“Correct. I can guess where the Lieutenant disappeared to. But the Detective …”

“I will see if he is at his home address.” Rick nodded. His expression remained serious and calm, but a strange feeling seemed to well within him. Anticipation? Excitement? He attempted to ignore it as just another error.

“I will contact you if I find out anything new. Be safe around Reed, he seems very unpredictable.” Connor warned his brother.

Rick felt somewhat offended by that for some reason but, again, kept it to himself. “Of course.”

They separated without any more ceremony and went their respective ways.

***

Hank was _exactly_ where Connor assumed he was. The exact same bar that he had dragged him out of hardly an hour ago, and he’d already managed to down three more shots of whiskey in the time it had taken him to run Rick’s diagnostic check. This stuff was dangerous for humans to consume in large quantities, and yet the Lieutenant seemed simply belligerent about the entire thing.

Connor’s return did nothing to help the Lieutenant’s mood.

“Ahh, fuck. You again!? Why can’t ya just leave me alone?” Connor noted absently that his face was flushed and he’d begun slurring his words, at least alcohol appeared to have an impact on him. Lieutenant Anderson jabbed a finger at him — and missed — but didn’t seem to process that he wasn’t currently prodding Connor in the chest. “I don’t feel like being raked over the coals cause the government thinks its fucking funny to dig out my skeletons! Go away!”

The bartender had meandered over to them and was giving them both a displeased look. Hank was a longtime customer and friend, but he was also getting to that special point of drunken outrage that usually required him being sent away in a taxi. It was a bit traitorous to turn on him like this, but… “Hey Android. You work with him?”

“Unfortunately.” Connor sighed. This had been the most frustrating day he’d had since he’d been activated.

Hank took a moment to look utterly offended… and then nodded in acceptance. He hadn’t exactly been friendly today. Still, he glared at Jimmy as the bartender continued speaking. “Fortunate for me then. Take this man home before he can’t walk on his own and I have to drag his old ass out to a taxi.” Hank, picture of maturity, mouthed his words back mockingly. Jimmy rolled his eyes. “Just for that, I’m double charging you for your last drink.”

With a frustrated groan, Hank pushed away from the bar, stumbled slightly, and then righted himself with the air of one who’s had far too much practice holding his own while inebriated. “I got it, I got it. Fuckin’ androids. Fuckin’ job.” He wandered out of the bar murmuring fuck in increasingly slurred ways.

Jimmy sighed. “Here, use these credentials for the taxi… And thanks.” He eyed Connor warily. This was a no android establishment, but Hank was more shit-faced than usual and it worried him to see the man off by himself.

“Just doing my job.” Connor answered before heading out of the bar as well. He’d already called for a taxi. It would be arriving shortly. Hank was standing out on the street looking disgruntled and wobbling slightly. He stood next to the Lieutenant and folded his hands behind his back patiently. “Would you object to a personal question, Lieutenant?”

Hank glared at Connor and then leaned himself up against the streetlight to ensure his balance didn’t abandon him. “What the fuck ever, shoot.”

“According to the records I accessed, you used to be a good officer, with awards for taking down a trafficking ring when you were an undercover agent. What happened that made you .. well. Like this?” the android asked, still staring straight ahead.

Hank snorted derisively. Of course he’d go digging in his personal files, should’ve known. “I fucked up. A good man died because I was too busy thinking about myself.” He grit his teeth for a second and then looked back at the android. Fucking aloof bastard. “Now I’ve got one for you,” he was angry and his own slurring only made him more frustrated, “what did they tell _you_ before they sent you here? Why were you and _Rick_ sent to this precinct instead of going in with some FBI agent?”

Connor’s LED spun to yellow and stayed there as a frustrated expression crossed his face. He let his hands drop to his sides. “Those were my orders so I followed them.” he answered after a long minute. Hank wasn’t wrong though, why didn’t they send him and Rick with an experienced FBI agent? Why did they send them to work with these two unstable individuals? It made no logical sense. He also knew he wasn’t supposed to ask these kinds of questions.

Before he needed to think too hard on it, the taxi, thankfully, pulled up and the door slid open. His LED rolled back to blue as he righted himself mentally. “After you,” he offered.

“They’re fucking stupid orders.” Hank wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh and punch this bastard at the same time. It wasn’t even the fucking android’s fault! That was the most infuriating thing. He wanted to be fucking drunk and furious and take it out on this fucking hunk of plastic, and he didn’t have a proper reason for it at all. With a disgruntled grumble, he climbed into the taxi and slumped into the seat. When Connor joined him, Hank poked him between the eyes — successfully this time. “I’ve got a personal question for you now. What access do you have to my undercover files? You must know something about why they sent Rick here.”

Hank was too drunk to worry much about classified information and all that. He was angry, and frustrated, and damnit… He wanted answers.

“Of course,” the android said, in a matter-of-fact kind of way. “This is Rick’s first field exercise. They thought he would do well working with the police department. This is probably why they also chose to have us work with your department and then we will most likely be gradually moved up to work with agents of a higher caliber.” He seemed satisfied with this reasoning as it answered his earlier problems with their assignment as well.

Hank paused, glaring at the android for a moment, then slumped back against the chair and proceeded to scowl out the window. “Fucking androids. They’re all fucking useless after all.”

Connor just shrugged in response and the rest of the ride to Hank’s house was silent.

***

Rick lifted his hand to knock on the Detective’s door but hesitated. He was possibly feeling .. anxious? He assessed the probable risk of injury to himself and came back with a low number. There was no reason for this overwhelming fear. Steeling himself, he brought his hand against the door in three rapid knocks.

There wasn’t an immediate reaction inside the house, but after a few moments Rick noted footsteps approaching the door. He felt another surge of anxiety, again without proper cause, but nothing happened. No one opened the door, no one spoke. It took the android half a moment to realize what had happened: the detective had seen him through the door’s peep hole and had decided not to answer.

“Detective —“

“Go away.” The voice on the other side was rough, raw almost, but there was no emotional affect on the words. They were blunted, empty.

The difference between the heated words Reed had hurled at him earlier compared to the bleak, empty ones now was almost painful. “I just want to know why you object to me so harshly,” Rick found himself almost pleading. More errors popped up and he added quickly, “So we can work together effectively.” If he had any more software problems today, Connor was liable to drag him back to headquarters. And he couldn’t let that happen.

.. Why couldn’t he let that happen?

He didn’t quite know himself. But he knew he needed to be in one piece or he’d never figure anything out .. any of the strange things that’d been clouding him from the moment he’d met Gavin Reed.

There was no response from Reed, just a soft thump as he leaned against the door and the faint sound of him sliding down to sit beside it. He stayed there, against the door, and no matter how much Rick pleaded or knocked he stubbornly refused to open the door or speak again. After 15 minutes of this, Rick couldn’t justify standing waiting there any longer. He stared miserably at the barrier that stood between himself and Detective Reed, his LED flashing red, then sighed and walked away.

Inside the dark apartment, Gavin sat on the floor by the door with a weathered white jacket clutched against his chest. His fingers ran methodically over the numbers emblazoned on it, tracing the double nines like they could somehow bring him comfort.

***

Hank left the cab, slamming every door between him and the fucking android that he could. He was so fucking fed up with this mess. Connor hadn’t bothered to say anything else, but he hadn’t left either. With terminator-like determination, he simply followed after Hank, catching doors as Hank attempted to slam them. From his angle it appeared as if Hank was more flustered that he was _unable_ to slam the door on Connor rather than the fact that Connor persisted in following him.

“Ugh! What is your problem? Why won’t you just get the fuck out of here? Tell your boss you failed this assignment and just let me be fucked up in peace, alright?”

As he passed through the living room there was a loud bark and an even louder thump. By the time Connor stepped into view of the sofa, Hank was pinned underneath a very large Saint Bernard. He was grumbling something into his fur that, as Connor closed the distance between them, he could finally make out as affectionate frustration.

“You big lug! Get off, Get off. I know, you’re excited. It’s just a piece of plastic, Sumo. No one that’s gonna give your fat ass treats.” A blue eye peered around the dog’s head to glare up at Connor, but he was simultaneously scratching the massive dog’s ears. It made the threatening glare completely ineffective.

A smile stretched across Connor’s face at the sight. It seemed Sumo and his owner were somewhat similar. All bark, no bite. He was surprised that the Lieutenant hadn’t gotten violent with him yet, considering the shape he was in. He stopped for a moment to reassess the feeling he had and logged it away to take a closer look later. That definitely needed to be analyzed for malfunctions.

“I’m just trying to do my job, Lieutenant,” Connor said in reply to the previous question. “Rick is currently trying to coax your partner from his apartment as well.” Ah, back to business. Safe. Comfortable.

Hank twitched when Rick was mentioned again. “I still don’t get it,” he grumbled to himself and Sumo, “why the hell did he run off after that little prick?” He sighed and pressed his face into Sumo’s neck. “I figured if they’d do something as fucked up as sending him to the precinct then they would’ve had me working with him.”

That piqued Connor’s interest. “Excuse me? Why do you think they would specifically send Rick to work with you? You have a history of being uncomfortable with androids.”

There was a moment of silence before Hank nudged Sumo aside enough to sit up. The dog happily accepted his new position, with his paws over Hank’s shoulders and his head rested beside Hank’s. Hank, meanwhile, held the giant thing like you’d hold a child.

“What the fuck do you think I said? You read my case file. It should have my partner’s name in that big trafficking investigation. You androids are supposed to be so much smarter and more efficient than humans. Figure it out.”

“There was no mention of a partner in your case file.” Connor seemed surprised and his LED was yellow again. Hank was getting far too used to this look on the android’s face. It amused him to some degree.

“You don’t have all the information then,” he huffed but with a smug look on his face.

“Apparently, I do not. Inform me then, Lieutenant.” Connor came around the side of the sofa and stared at Hank expectantly.

Hank waffled between smug and frustrated again and then sighed. “I was just a fucking rookie on that undercover case and Rick…” He fumbled for a moment and glared at Connor as if it were his fault. “ _My_ Rick, not… _Plastic Rick_!” He clarified, struggling to remember where he was going with this story through the haze of alcohol. Right. “He was my superior and he looked fucking untouchable.” For a moment, while thinking about his old partner, Hank had found himself smiling… until he remembered how everything ended up. “Apparently he wasn’t as invincible as I thought,” he continued quickly, “and somehow I wound up getting all the fucking credit for his work… and he’s never mentioned again. So how the fuck does the plastic version of him walk into my precinct today, huh? How the fuck does my dead partner, for all shits and giggles, come back to life? So, yeah, of fucking course I think he’s going to be assigned as my partner again, because that’s how this day is fucking going, right?!”

“RK900 is .. wait a moment, please.” The LED was red now, bright and pulsing as Connor closed his eyes. He was still and quiet and for a little Hank wondered if he had shut down, or something. Great, that was perfect. He’d push the plastic thing out the door — when he figured which one of the Connors in his living room was the actual android.

While Hank debated on what to do with a ‘malfunctioning’ android, Connor was digging through files and folders. There was nothing locked or hidden from him in the database he was searching, but there were so many files upon files that he’d never managed to go through them all. There were always things that needed his attention in other places and they honestly hadn’t seemed relevant at the time.

Stored deep within the data in an inconspicuous area, he found information on a detective from over twenty years prior. The pictures of the man matched up exactly with RK900, down to even the mole on the back of his neck. The same one he shared with his ‘brother’ … he blinked a few times and came back to the room, hastily grabbing at his neck without thinking.

“Fuck!” Hank gasped when the previously still android suddenly jerked into motion and grabbed his own neck like something had bit him. Sumo barked in surprise at his outburst and for a moment everyone looked awkwardly flustered. Disgruntled, Sumo flopped down to lay across Hank’s lap instead of resting on his shoulder. Hank cleared his throat and glared at Connor again. At least there were fewer of him now. “What the fuck was all that about?”

“The information was here the whole time .. not hidden, but not .. obvious either .. Your former partner and RK900 are identical. Why would Cyberlife base this new model off a deceased man and then send him back to the job he used to work? This isn’t .. logical.” Connor looked defeated. He’d had so much faith in his superiors and they seemed to be failing him the first day on the job. 

No, there had to be an explanation for all this. There was no other reasoning that was acceptable. He knew he was based off of RK900’s design but .. this. His Rick was practically a clone. “Rick never said anything about recognizing you in any way. He must just look similar.” he said quickly, trying to work through the influx of information rapidly.

Hank studied Connor for a moment, hating that wave of sympathy that rolled through him. The android sounded as confused as he fucking felt. “Yeah, I certainly didn’t think they’d brought him back from the dead or anything… But fuck, it feels like that when I look at him.” His brows furrowed. “And your scrawny ass version of him. I bet if Rick had ever been the sharing type, I’d find that you’re the spitting image of him about ten years younger than when I knew him.” That made his gut twist. Stupid childish crush. When he’d first joined Rick’s division he’d been absolutely enamored by him and, honestly, he’d have given anything to see a cute, twinky version of him…

Scratch that. Scratch all that. He was _not_ thinking about this.

Connor debated on sending in a request for more details but decided not to in the end. He’d get to the bottom of this and complete his mission .. even if he was unsure that Cyberlife was making appropriate choices with their assignments. “Thanks for telling me about your partner, Lieutenant. Now we should try to sober you up so I can brief you about some of these Deviant cases.”

Hank paused. Somehow that was not how he’d seen this conversation going. He stared blankly at Connor and then flicked him off and promptly flopped over onto the sofa. “Fuck no.”


	4. Please, leave it buried

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for bearing with us for the wait. The flu really likes to kick you when you're down. That said! We've got another trip down memory lane, and another set of chapter warnings.
> 
> Like Chapter Two, this chapter contains Child Sexual Abuse - sex trafficking and sex work in particular - as well as non-explicit implications of rape and assault.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> \--

Even after the money that Nines had snuck into that jacket had run out, Gavin clung to the memory of his night in Nines’ home. He couldn’t have the love he wanted, but occasionally he could pretend he had _something_. Typically when he was safe and warm in a hotel. But most nights weren’t like that. Most nights sucked. 

Occasionally, yeah, a nice guy like Nines showed up out of the blue to take him in out of the cold for no fucking reason. Typically it was out of some weird sense of guilt or, whatever, but it didn’t really matter... In the end, none of them really mattered. No one made him feel at home, not like Nines had, and ultimately, he’d probably just end up with some horny old fuck that screwed you in the back of his car then kicked you out in disgust the second he’d gotten off.

That was just the way it was.

Tonight he was curled up in one of those 24/7 family diners, hugging himself in Nines’ jacket as he tried to think of where to go for the night. A snowstorm had blown in out of nowhere and everyone seemed to be off the street already. Which would only make it harder for him to get the money he needed to _actually_ stay out of the cold. 

For a moment he closed his eyes and let himself pretend that the smell of food cooking and the warmth accompanied by Nines’ jacket meant that he was ‘home’. Home with Nines.

It was a stupid lie, but it kept him alive when his stomach was an empty pit.

Resisting the urge to sob, he doubled over to rest his head on the table… only for a voice to cut through his thoughts: “Alright, kid. We’ve let you sit in here for a while, but you’ve got to get out. We need this table.” 

Gavin lifted his head to stare blankly at the speaker. It was the manager. Apparently the waitress that had been pacing around near him was too sweet or meek to do the deed herself. 

He shrugged and slid out of the booth. “Sure, alright.” It didn’t really matter. This wasn’t home. No where was. He stepped outside and all the warmth he’d soaked up was immediately sucked out of him. Fuck. So much for that.

This, of course, was exactly how he wound up getting into trouble. Beggars can’t be choosers, right? And a cold, desperate kid would ultimately pick a ride with a weirdo over freezing in the snow. It wasn’t the first time he’d picked ‘the wrong john’ and ended up in a situation he’d barely escaped from. Usually the result was some nasty bruises and a lot of anxiety about where his next meal was coming from.

Eventually his luck had to run out.

How many times could you get into a car with a squirrelly-ass, shifty-eyed weirdo and not fucking die? Everything seemed fine when he accepted the ride, they even batted around some small talk while they drove somewhere private… It was everything after that that just went downhill. They parked and he was about to give the guy head when the door popped open and someone yanked him out of the car.

Weirdo waved.

With everything else that was happening, that should’ve probably been the last thing he noticed… but damnit, he’d known the shifty-eyed bastard wasn’t right.

Then something awful smelling was shoved against his face and the world went dark.

 

Hazy. 

Everything felt like he was looking at it through a fog. Had he been drugged? Probably. His limbs felt heavy, but feeling was slowly returning to him. It started with a dull ache that started at his ass and worked its way up his spine. Gavin squirmed, trying to get a look at himself or at least a better understanding of his surroundings, but he was bound to tightly to move properly.

The movement did allow him to recognize that his pants were down around his knees and… He did not want to think about the wet sensation dripping down his inner thigh when he moved.

Fucking sick bastards.

His stomach was churning. The more he struggled to think, the harder it was to ignore the aches and the queasiness. It didn’t matter, Gavin told himself, he had to think and think fast. This was one of those situations where he’d end up dead if he didn’t get out of it. Living wasn’t great, but it was the only thing that was his choice. He shifted where he was laying and twisted his wrists to see if he could get his hands free… It was tight but the knot work wasn’t great. Good fucking thing he’d woken up when he had, because damnit if the color of his hands wasn’t great.

He managed to wriggle his wrists free before the bastards realized what was happening. It gave him enough time to get his pants back up, at least. After that everything was a bit of a blur. Somehow he got out, and in his panic he ran to the one and only place that he had ever felt safe: Nines’ home. 

 

Everything was pain.

His fists ached and burned simultaneously. Tears had frozen into his lashes and made seeing a challenge, but he recognized the door he was pounding on. He’d made it? He didn’t even remember getting to Nines’ doorstep, but here he was.

And no one was answering.

Was no one home? Was he going to fucking die like this?

The adrenaline had been draining out of his system as the cold took priority. Exhaustion was overwhelming. Gavin slumped against the door and let his body sag into the thin layer of snow that had built up on the doorstep.

Maybe Nines was at work? Maybe he’d come back… Maybe.

Blood in the snow. Gavin blankly reached up to touch his face and his fingers came away sticky with blood. When had that happened? He brushed awkwardly at his face, trying to brush the frost from his lashes and the blood from his face and, probably, only succeeding in making it all worse.

He didn’t want to die like this… but it was better than where he’d been. At least someone would care about him when they found his corpse. That was almost reassuring — if he didn’t also feel so damn guilty for fucking dying in front of Nines’ door. Seemed like an ass way to repay someone for being kind to you.

A sound nagged at his attention, soft at first but louder by the moment. “Gavin?”

Snow fell away from him in a flurry as he tried to sit up. His face was coated in bloody snow. Had he passed out? He’d barely managed to open his eyes properly when a familiar figure came into view: “Nines!” 

He’d never been so happy to see someone in his entire life. He’d also never been hugged as tightly and desperately as he was when Nines crouched down and scooped him up. Gavin choked on his words as his emotions twisted everything into a knot. Fear, excitement, horror, desperation.

“I… I didn’t know where else to go… I…” He blurted, words rattling around in his mouth like a dispenser choking up ice.

Nines stopped him before he could try to say more. “Shh, it’s alright. You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

For the first time in his life, Gavin gave up and let himself act his age. He broke down into tears as he clung to Nines and let the older man care for him. Once he was bathed and bandaged, Nines tucked them both into his bed. It took a while for the feeling to return to his limbs properly and for his sobs to subside enough that he wasn’t choking and hiccuping every time he remembered what the fuck was going on.

When he was calm enough to think clearly, he realized his head was resting in Nines’ lap and Nines was stroking his back in gentle, soothing circles.

Gavin shifted, tilting his head against Nines’ leg so that he could see the man properly. How did he even begin? Why was Nines so good to him? Thankfully, he didn’t have to find the words first. Nines noticed he’d come to his senses and gently touched his cheek.

“Can you tell me what happened, dear?” His voice was tighter than Gavin remembered. Had he just imagined the cool calm from… Was it really almost a year ago?

“I… I don’t know.” His stomach twisted, revolting the memory even as he attempted to recall it. Gavin flinched and buried his face against Nines’ leg as he clutched the man’s pant leg. “I… I should’ve been more careful… I don’t remember getting hurt… Or getting out… Or…” The more he remembered, the worse he felt. He didn’t want to remember what a failure he was, he just… “I fucked up, Nines. I fucked up so bad.”

“It’s okay, baby boy, you’re okay.” Nines was stroking his hair tenderly but his voice sounded so strained. “I won’t let anything like this happen to you ever again.” Gavin whimpered softly. It all sounded too good to be true. “Just try and get some sleep now. I’ll be right here.”

Gavin nodded pathetically and just pressed himself against Nines. He couldn’t think straight, couldn’t - no wouldn’t - make sense of the horrible misery he’d just escaped from. “Thank you,” he whimpered.

It took Gavin a while to cry himself out, but Nines sat beside him the whole time and stroked his back until he finally fell asleep.

—

Hours later when Gavin woke up, disoriented and sore, he found that Nines had remained at his side throughout the night. The older man was currently resting against the headboard as he examined a tablet, but when he felt Gavin stir, Nines set the device aside.

“How are you feeling, Gavin?”

“Terrible,” he muttered and then ducked his head to press his face against Nines’ side. He immediately regretted the action — it rubbed against the gauze on his nose and stung terribly... yet, despite that, Gavin couldn’t help but smile to himself.

Nines was exactly like he remembered, but there was something else this time. He’d been so much less hesitant about touching him, about holding him. For the first time in his memory he felt like he actually belonged somewhere, like he was actually _wanted_.

“Lets get you into some clean clothes and get you something to eat, that should be a good start.”

“Thanks…” Gavin replied softly and leaned back to look up at Nines.

The older man ruffled his hair gently and flashed him a soft smile and in that moment Gavin felt his heart pounding all over again. It was just like the first night with him. He’d done everything in his power to avoid running into Nines again and ruining the perfect memory he had cultivated… but now that he was back he couldn’t think of anywhere else he wanted to be.

He didn’t care how long it lasted. He’d just take what he could get. It’d be enough, right? It had gotten him through a year before. So even if this was just a temporary thing, he’d take it.

“That sounds good.” The boy glanced over at the tablet Nines had set on the nightstand. “What were you looking at?”

For a moment Nines’ expression turned completely blank. Gavin had never seen Nines look so cold… Then again, he hadn’t seen much of Nines beyond the short evening they’d had together before. In a flash the look was gone and he warmed to a softer expression once more. “Just the news. It’s… disparaging.” Nines smirked and then shook his head. “Nothing you need to worry about, dear.”

“What,” Gavin chuckled, “is it full of child prostitutes and kidnappings?”

Nines pressed his lips into a thin line of displeasure, but Gavin could see the edge of the smirk tugging at his lips. “Unfortunately, yes.” He reached out and ruffled Gavin’s hair once more. “But hopefully there will be one less that we have to worry about.”

Gavin felt his cheeks grow hot and he looked away from the other man quickly as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. “Doubt I know anyone that lucky.”

“Gavin…”

Gavin slid out of the bed before realizing that he was still very much naked. Apparently Nines had only managed to get him cleaned up and tucked in, that made sense… he didn’t have anything decently clean to wear. He looked down at himself, at the scars that littered his body, and bit down on his lower lip. Fuck. Who was he kidding… What could Nines ever see in a used up, broken brat like him?

“You… You mentioned something about clean clothes?”

When Gavin glanced over his shoulder, Nines was already up and digging something out of his drawer. “It isn’t much right now, but it’s better than nothing.” He returned to Gavin with a t-shirt and boxers, both much too large for him, but they’d do in a pinch. “We can get you something that fits better once _you_ feel better.” He gave Gavin a gentle pat on the head and then immediately turned to leave the room. “I’ll get breakfast started. Do you like french toast?”

“Does it come with bacon?” He tried to sound cheerful but something in his chest felt like it was wrenching apart. Why didn’t Nines look at him? Everyone else would’ve… He clutched the clothes against his chest and tried to push the painful feeling back.

“Of course, if that’s what you’d like.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Nines glanced back just once, as if to reassure himself that Gavin was alright, and then quickly left the room. Gavin’s knees buckled and he slumped to the floor, trying hard to stop the tears that wanted to flow. He was just emotional. That was it. That was all. He’d had a rough night and he was emotional.

When he finally felt like he could breathe again, he pulled on the boxers and then the shirt, basking momentarily in the smell of Nines before forcing himself to get up and join the older man in the kitchen.


	5. Something Hazy

When nothing worked to soothe his writhing anxiety, Gavin accepted that he would have to return to work and try dealing with it head on. He could already hear his old therapist’s commentary: This is not a healthy coping method, you should _blahblahblah_. Of course it wasn’t a fucking healthy coping method! When the hell had he ever been good at that? Never. His therapist would also have added that that was exactly why he’d stopped coming to sessions, and probably give him that look that made him feel like garbage.

Fuck. He _was_ garbage.

He threw his cigarette to the ground, ground it out, and forced himself to step into the building. Sure enough, the freaky android Rick was already there. He sat across from Gavin’s desk, hands folded in his lap, eyes closed. Rest mode? Gavin took advantage of avoiding his notice to slip into Fowler’s office. Better to be privately chewed out than to deal with the creepy android _judging_ him too.

Gavin stepped out of the office, rubbing his face in his hands, when a voice nearly made his heart stop. “Detective Reed…” Gavin’s chest was heaving when he lowered his hands and found himself staring into the android’s gray eyes. Nothing. The only thing he recognized in their reflection was oblivion. He’d looked into that before and never needed to see it again.

He rolled his shoulders and then shoved past Rick without acknowledging him. No. _It_. There was no person there. He’d just ignore _it_ then. Ignore it and do his work until it went the fuck away.

Right, right. It was just a hunk of plastic that happened to resemble someone he knew. It wasn’t actually them. He didn’t know this ‘Rick’, so why should he care? He’d just use it the way it was meant to be used — an assistant, a tool to get his job done. That’s all it was. Gavin ignored it when it spoke to him and instead went through his daily routines. Coffee. Scold Tina for throwing him to the wolves. Review case files. Smoke. It was harder to work with _it_ staring at him. He took another smoke break. By the time he returned and sat down at his desk, he already felt as if he was ready to spring back up and go out for another smoke.

“Fuck it. Let’s just go talk to this witness. When the patrolman spoke to her she seemed to have her stories all mixed up. Maybe she remembers better now.”

He didn’t wait for Rick to join him, he just left the office and went to his car. If the plastic asshole joined him, so be it. Of course it slid into the passenger seat a moment later. Shaking his head, Gavin pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a slow drag before pulling out of the garage and onto the highway.

“Are you willing to speak with me now, Detective?” 

It sounded almost… hopeful? Gavin couldn’t bring himself to look at it when he replied. “No. But I won’t let that interfere with my work. So if you don’t speak unless you’re spoken to, I think we’ll start working together much better.”

“If that’s what you wish.” Rick replied, but he was frowning. Usually he looked pretty impassive and unshakeable, but something about the detective’s rejection displeased him. Maybe it hurt a little? He wasn’t sure.

Gavin glanced over at Rick in time to see a frown, but he immediately forced himself not to think about it. Androids didn’t have feelings. It was just mindless programming. And yet somehow that didn’t make him actually _feel_ any better. Whatever. Just work. He’d gotten this far in life by focusing on work and little else, it couldn’t fail him now.

Days went by with Gavin only speaking to Rick about work and only when absolutely necessary. It was going surprisingly well, and Rick was a decent enough android that he actually listened and stayed silent unless spoken to. So why did he feel so shitty? Of course his gaze fell on Rick. He knew why he felt shitty. Just looking at him made Gavin… Fuck, he didn’t even know what he was feeling anymore. Then Rick walked by and their eyes met and Gavin realized his hand was fucking shaking, tapping anxiously against the back of his phone. He caught the hesitation in Rick’s posture, saw the way his LED flashed Yellow in concern, then pushed away from the desk. He needed air, and a smoke.

Rick lingered in front of Gavin’s desk as he watched the detective retreat to the roof. During his first full day with Detective Reed he’d only gone out once for a smoke. As the days passed they increased in frequency until he was storming off every hour or so for a fix. It worried Rick. Smoking wasn’t good for Gavin’s health and it wasn’t a healthy way to cope with whatever was stressing him out either.

Watching Reed storm off for the nth time in one day, Connor shook his head. He was sitting very primly in a chair at the desk across from Hank’s. They’d, oddly enough, been working very well together. Well, that is when Hank managed to not drink himself into a stupor the night before.

“Why do you think it is that Detective Reed has such a hard time being around Rick?” questioned Connor, a bit absently. They had a little downtime in between cases so he’d gone back to monitoring Rick’s status and how well he was fitting in at the station.

Hank glanced up from what he was looking at, then peeked over to Reed and Rick’s desks. Gavin was gone again and Rick looked… lost. It was weird to watch. Androids didn’t usually look lost and uncertain. “Reed has a hard time working with everyone. He’s a little prick and, as far as I’ve seen, he’s content to have everyone know it.” The Lieutenant turned his attention back to Connor. “He’s a surprisingly decent person in small doses — he’s come to the bar after work a few times with the rest of the department… But working _with_ him is a nightmare. I don’t envy Rick his assignment.” The older man cocked his head slightly. “My question is, why does Rick seem to _care_ so much that Gavin’s having a hard time working with him?”

Connor was silent, rolling ideas around and debating things. He had so many unanswered questions, and because they were unanswered he hadn’t transferred any of the information to Rick. “Do you think this could have anything to do with the man that Rick was based off of?” His voice was very quiet. He didn’t need the other android knowing he was keeping secrets.

Hank watched Connor processing with a slight smile. He hated to admit that he was actually _enjoying_ the damned android’s company. He was a puzzle himself, all cool and calm on the surface but clearly struggling with something. For being androids, these two both had a problem with caring a whole lot about things that androids were not supposed to care about.

“Maybe? _My_ Rick,” he laughed at the absurdity of that statement. ” _My Rick_ was a mystery to me even back then. He was a hard worker, though, and I think he took a lot of it home with him. Wouldn’t surprise me if he’d secretly been anxious about everyone else’s problems.” It still stuck in his craw to see Rick chasing after Gavin without ever really acknowledging him. If they were at all the same he would’ve at least acknowledged Hank… Right? 

Connor laughed but the sound came out bitter sounding. “I don’t know if you can call it home, but Rick and I seem to be taking too much ‘home’ from work. This should be a fairly straightforward group of cases we are assisting you on to find out why other androids are malfunctioning. It’s ridiculous that both of us are getting wrapped up in our co-workers’ personal lives.” 

Hank was nodding along, listening to Connor’s concerns, and then his words sank in. Both of them, huh? The older man leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he peered at Connor. “You’re both wrapped up in your co-workers’ personal lives? Both of you? And, I suppose both of _us_ then?"

The android blinked a few times and froze up. It was the truth but he hadn’t quite meant to say it aloud to Hank. He’d been working so closely with Hank that he’d practically been taking care of Sumo for the past week pretty much. He cleared his throat and rearranged his expression to a more calm one. “I’ve been forced to since you won’t come to work on your own and I am concerned for your pet.” 

Hank chuckled despite himself. Connor was… stupid adorable… He had no idea how that was even possible. Something about his somewhat sweet and dorky demeanor mixed with his clear belief that he was being _very proper_ just tickled Hank in the right way. Maybe he was just bitter about the whole situation, that and he’d certainly never been fond of androids on a whole, but the idea of seeing them ‘fail’ in such a spectacularly human way was delightful. 

“Concerned about my pet? Sumo and I have been doing _just fine_. I think you just want an excuse to pet him!” 

“Dogs require attention and affection to be cared for properly. I’m just assisting you with your duties as an owner.” asserted Connor, ignoring very much that perhaps his ratio of petting Sumo vs. not petting Sumo was rather high. 

Hank stared at Connor for a moment then clucked his tongue and rolled his shoulders as he settled back into his seat. “Yeah, yeah. I don’t believe that for a moment.” He turned his attention away from Connor then, focused instead on the terminal in front of him. Usually he would’ve just stared at it and waited for Connor to give up, but now he found his eyes skimming the information. 

It was a whole lot of nothing. Just a damn run around with little to no connection between the incidents. 

When Hank went silent, Connor re-focused on his previous questions before Sumo got them both off-topic. Should he tell Rick the truth? How in depth did his connection to the previous Rick go? He frowned and rolled a coin between his fingers. This was a choice he’d have to make on his own. 

**** 

Rick did his best to leave Gavin alone. Talking to him only seemed to anger him or make him storm off to the roof for more smoking. He hated how that irked him. There was no reason for that to bother him. So why was he frustrated to see Gavin smoking so much? 

_“Not in my house, Gavin!”_

_“I’m not — I’m smoking outside of your house!”_

A flush of tender amusement filled him, immediately followed by the return of his frustration. There was no reason for that scenario to flash through his mind —it wasn’t a memory. He had no memories. He’d been activated and that was that. He remembered all the events from then until this point. There was nothing prior. 

_Software Instability_

Rick almost rolled his eyes at the all too familiar words flashing before him. Yes, he was aware. He wasn’t functioning properly. Something about Gavin made it worse. But instead of being afraid, he was merely more intrigued. He wanted to delve into this more and find out the truth. There was obviously something going on here that he didn’t know about, and the mystery of it all only made him more determined to uncover it. 

Gavin stomped back down the stairs, reeking of smoke and frustration. “It’s fucking hot.” He grumbled. “It’s fucking January and it’s fucking hot.” It had been _snowing_ a couple days ago! What the hell was this? 

Rick stared at him for a moment, debating on whether or not he should acknowledge the detective first or wait for Gavin to acknowledge him… When the detective had slammed his cigarettes into his desk drawer and still hadn’t said anything, he stepped up to the man’s side. “Detective, about our assignment today.” 

Gavin paused and brushed his hand through his hair as he turned to glare at the android. “Yeah, yeah. I got the message. The other detective’s shift ends soon, we get to relieve her.” 

Rick nodded, silent. Gavin gave him a displeased look, much to Rick’s disappointment, then quickly turned away. Without another word the detective started out toward the cars and Rick followed after him. He’d been particularly petulant today and it nagged at the android. He slid into the car as the detective chucked his coat furiously out of the front seat and began cranking up the air. 

The usual sweater he wore underneath his coat had been exchanged for a more form-fitted short-sleeved shirt. Two messages popped up so quickly that he barely managed to catch them both. The irritatingly familiar red notification — _Software Instability_ — and the one it had tried to bury: _He doesn’t like the heat._

Rick brushed them both away. That was an unnecessary observation to make but it felt important to him. 

They drove in silence, with only the car’s stereo blaring between them, and when they arrived Gavin reluctantly glared at the ignition before rolling the windows down and switching it off. “Send Detective Adams the alert that we’re in position.” He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled, muttering obscenities beneath his breath about how this was all bullshit and global warming and what the fuck he was supposed to have a few more months of damned winter! 

“She’s been notified,” was all Rick bothered to add to his smoldering detective’s list of things to be grumpy about. 

Gavin looked at him for a moment then pointedly looked away, staring at the old manor like it was about to grow legs and run off. The silence between them was like a chasm and, though his sensors clearly indicated the near 70 degree afternoon, Rick felt oddly cold. Working with Gavin had never ceased to be confusing but sitting with him, alone, in silence… It felt wrong. This moment should’ve been different. He didn’t understand how, but it should have been. After a moment, Rick opened the door and stepped outside. 

“Where the fuck are you going, Tin Can?!” 

Rick hesitated then leaned down, LED briefly flashing yellow before returning to blue. “I need some air.” 

“What the fuck ever.” Gavin rolled his eyes and returned his scowling gaze to the house. After a few moments his brows furrowed and he jerked back up to look in the direction Rick had gone but he was no longer in view. “What the fuck?” Why the hell did an android need air?! 

Alone at last, Rick’s LED rolled between yellow and red as he tried to understand what was upsetting him. System errors? No. Nothing except for the instability notice, but that didn’t even bother him when he wasn’t with Detective Reed. What then? He located a convenience store not far from where they were parked and stepped inside without really thinking about his decision. He was too fixated on locating the source of his abnormal discomfort that he didn’t even notice he’d selected items and brought them to the counter until the android running the cash register reached out to connect to him. 

“Confirm your payment method?” 

Oh. Rick quickly glanced down at the items that had been rung up before him. A bottle of water and a popsicle. _For Gavin, of course._ He frowned but reached out to finalize the payment. 

“Thank you. Have a nice day!” 

His LED had settled on red as he left the convenience store. Would this help? Yes. Of course it would help. The Detective was hot — so a cool snack and a refreshing beverage would surely calm his anger. Then perhaps they could speak together. About the case, clearly. 

He slid back into the car and was immediately met with Gavin’s grumbling. “Where the fuck did you go, Tin Can? And what the fuck did you mean by you needed air?” 

Rick paused and then simply offered the bag to the detective without comment. The detective scowled then grabbed the bag and looked inside. Water, he dropped into the console between them, but the popsicle… For a moment he seemed frozen on the simple treat. 

“How?” There was a look in Gavin’s eyes that made Rick’s thirium pump sputter oddly and that annoying red alert pulsed in his peripherals. He ignored it, focused on that innocent look of confusion. “How did you know I liked these?” 

He didn’t. _How could he not?_ Rick shrugged. 

Another image briefly came up for a fraction of a second. A teenager .. wider eyes .. but that same long scar on his face. More red, less faded. Unlike the scowling man next to him, the teenager had a genuine look of happiness. 

_“I don’t think I’ve ever actually had a popsicle before.”_

Just like that, the image was gone again. Replaced by Gavin’s annoyed look as he gazed out the window and sucked on the popsicle to, seemingly, keep himself from saying anything else derogatory towards his android partner. 

Rick’s LED was stuck on red as he froze up. What _was_ that? It was gone though, and he could only recall it as a memory and not an image he could pull up to study and look at. He turned his own gaze back to the manor, hoping that not looking at Gavin might help. 

It didn’t. 


	6. Forgetting is easy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor here! Double update today! (This and When The Day Met The Night have both been updated.) So sorry for the wait. Thank you for your patience!
> 
> This is another flashback chapter so there are references to Gavin's past as a sex worker and some inappropriate situations happen but nothing explicit. (Hank is better at these things than me but he's at work so you get my weird ass. Sorry!)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> \--

Gavin told himself he could play house. He’d let dozens of other men dote on him in an attempt to soothe away guilt for neglected or estranged children. He could do it with Nines too… Maybe he could even convince himself that the love he felt for the man was just born out of the kindness shown to him and nothing more.

He could be a good ‘son’.

Nines worked constantly, but between all of that he kept true to his promises: physicals, some home schooling to catch up with public school curriculum, and entrance exams to a number of local schools for the following year. For the first time _ever_ , Gavin was on his way to being a normal kid.

Except that he wasn’t.

He didn’t know the first thing about being a kid or about living a normal life.

He felt like he was fucking going out of his mind just because he hadn’t been sleeping with anyone since he chose to stay with Nines. He was hornier then he’d ever been before and, despite all of his pretending, he couldn’t silence his feelings for Nines. If nothing they had actually _grown_ since he’d started living there. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see Nines as a father.

They sat on the sofa, Nines reading something on his tablet while Gavin played video games. It was one of their usual evenings, and Gavin treasured them… Tonight, however, his focus was completely shattered by Nines’ presence. The older man had just come out of a shower and Gavin could hardly keep his eyes off of him. His button up was only closed with a few buttons, and when Gavin tried to peel his gaze away from the man’s broad chest, he’d find himself admiring the shape of his legs in his jeans and then he was staring at his crotch.

Gavin made a sound of frustration and set the controller down. “Nines…”

He lowered his tablet, and arched a brow. “Yes, dear?”

Gavin knew what would happen, but he couldn’t stop himself, he crawled into Nines’ lap and kissed him. He knew exactly where to sit to press himself against Nines’ crotch and — fuck, he fit so nicely against the older man. Gavin’s moan broke their kiss before Nines could shove him away, and he rocked his ass back against Nines’ lap once more.

Abruptly Gavin found himself on his back, eyes wide as he watched Nines stand up from the sofa. “I already told you how I felt about this, Gavin.” There it was again, that cold, distant quality to his voice. It made Gavin’s heart break every time, because he knew it also always meant he’d be brushed off again.

“Nines… But I…” Gavin felt the heat of tears as he sat up and reached for Nines. “I _love_ you!”

Nines shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re asking…”

“I do so!”

“You don’t. You’re just a _child_ , Gavin. I won’t sleep with a child… You shouldn’t even be worried about things like sex, you should just focus on being a _child_.”

“I haven’t been a kid for _years_! How the hell do you expect me to just start up _now_?!”

Nines wouldn’t look at him. “Then I refuse to steal any more of your innocence.”

“Stop acting like you’re doing this for me and just tell me you don’t want me!”

Nines tensed and for a moment Gavin’s heart fluttered with a spark of hope. Did… Then Nines shook his head slowly and glanced back at Gavin. “I know you don’t understand now, but you will when you’re older.” He smiled and Gavin couldn’t fight back the tears anymore. Nines had never felt further away from him or more unobtainable. “This is just a childish crush. It’ll pass.”

And then he just left.

Gavin deserved it, for invading his personal space like that, but the rejection hurt more than he could express. He laid in bed, heart aching, and tried to imagine a world without Nines. He couldn’t. He’d rather spend the rest of his life aching for him than to imagine a world where Nines wasn’t part of his life. 

Unable to sleep, he watched the clock tick mercilessly through the night and, when he knew Nines was usually getting up for work, he slunk out of his room into the kitchen. It was a stupid little gesture, but it was all he could think to do. He made Nines a coffee and brought it to his bedroom, knocking softly at the door.

“Nines… I’m sorry about last night… Can I come in?”

There was a soft shuffle of Nines moving about in the room, probably getting his stuff ready for work, and then the door opened to reveal the handsome older man… still in his night clothes. Gavin fought back the urge to stare even as his cheeks warmed to a rosy pink. “Good morning, Gavin.” Nines paused as he looked down at the boy and then his gaze softened. “You didn’t have to make me a coffee to apologize. I was never upset with you, dear.”

Gavin held out the coffee cup. “I just… wanted you to know how much I appreciate you… and that I’m sorry for being inappropriate. I won’t… I won’t anymore.” He wished so badly that he could tell what Nines was thinking when his expression was so distant like today.

Without warning, Nines wrapped his arms around the boy and hugged him close. “It’s okay, Gavin. Don’t worry so much. I won’t ever send you away.”

Gavin slumped against Nines’ chest, his eyes prickling with tears again, and just nodded. If he bothered trying to speak now he’d just cry and he was certain his eyes couldn’t handle another bout of _that_.

—

So, he couldn’t do it. Couldn’t play house or fucking even be a good boy, but he’d stay alive, and safe, and that was ultimately all Nines asked of him. Without sex he found himself to be anxious and miserable more often than not, and in the end he turned to other vices to soothe his addiction. Smoking was the big one. Nines was always snatching his cigarettes and putting them out, but Gavin always ended up getting more.

It kept his mouth and hands busy, kept him from thinking about everything else he wanted to be doing with them…

But he’d do anything to keep Nines. Anything.

He even tried dating kids his own age… and that went pathetically. Anyone that spent more than a cumulative week or so with him eventually figured out that he was ‘weird’ or that didn’t have the ‘normal’ life experiences for a kid his age, and eventually they started avoiding or pitying him. Gavin hated both. The scars, his inability to relax around his classmates, and his general temper ultimately drove everyone away.

Everyone except Nines.

Nines accepted him for who he was. The fucked up little mess that he was... And for a while everything was alright. Better than alright. Nines even seemed to let his guard down some days. Laying on the sofa on a lazy weekend, they’d chat about life and new media - movies, video games, tv, whatever - while snuggled up in each other’s arms. Gavin told himself it was all very chaste, father and son type bonding, but deep down he never stopped wanting more. Nines would always be the man he was in love with, even if he was never more than a son to him.

So those wonderful weekend mornings, and the rare, warmth-filled smile or genuine chuckles… They made everything worthwhile.

Nearly two years had passed since the first night he’d stayed in Nines’ home, and the holidays were approaching. A friend had given Nines eggnog and, uninterested, he had left it at home. Curiosity had won out over Gavin and, while Nines was at work that day, Gavin drank a little too much while decorating the house.

The result was… dangerous.

He greeted Nines at the door that afternoon. “Welcome home, Nines!” Beaming like an idiot, his arms wrapped around Nines’ neck, Gavin pointed upward above the door where a sprig of mistletoe hung. “ _Mistletoe_ ~” he cooed drunkenly.

Nines was momentarily frozen in place, mouth half open, as Gavin clung to him and pressed his tongue into his mouth in a greedy, drunken kiss. There was a sudden pressure on his hips and, for half a moment, Gavin thought Nines was holding him — only for the older man to firmly push him back.

“No,” Nines whispered softly. “You need to go to bed, dear.”

His head was fuzzy and his stomach churned as Gavin stood there, lips puckered for a return kiss… But that wasn’t coming. He blinked in confusion as he processed the rejection and then reached up to touch his cheek. He was crying. When had he started crying? He wiped absently at the flood of tears, clearing them enough to see that Nines had drawn closer once more. 

The older man opened his arms invitingly. “If you can behave yourself, we can go watch stupid holiday movies together instead.”

Why did that make him sob so much harder? He pressed himself into Nines’ arms and, for once, just let himself be a stupid, sad kid that didn’t know what he was doing in life. “I drank too much,” he confessed as Nines carried him back to his bedroom.

“I could tell.”

“I feel awful. I don’t like eggnog.”

Nines chuckled, the sound soft and a little sad. “You really shouldn’t.”

“T-Thank you.”

“For what, dear?”

“N-Not hating me.” Nines had just set him down into the bed and he tensed on the word ‘hate’. His arms tightened around Gavin again, holding him close. “I love you so much and I know I’m fucked up… but you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Oh, baby boy…” Nines sighed as he settled into bed and pulled Gavin into his arms. He was getting a bit too tall to do this comfortably anymore, but that didn’t stop Nines. He cradled Gavin against him, stroking his drunk little boy’s hair. “I love you so much. Just rest and feel better. Everything is alright.”

“T-Thanks.”

Gavin didn’t remember when he fell asleep, though he did eventually wake up in Nines’ bed. Nines was asleep beside him, his arms wrapped around him still. Gavin bit his lip, his heart racing for a moment, and then he snuggled back into Nines’ arms. Nines’ grip tightened in response, holding Gavin there, and Gavin nearly melted from the warmth of it.

He’d sear the memory of this moment into his mind forever — the feel of being wrapped so snugly in Nines’ arms, the way his body tingled with pleasure as he pressed up against the older man.

***

Winter never seemed to be a good season for him. It always made him anxious and when he was anxious he did shitty things impulsively. Pouncing Nines on Christmas Eve to make out with his face was probably one of the dumbest things he’d ever done — aside from getting into the car with Mr. Shifty Eyes — but he was determined to make up for it. He just had to figure out how.

He was walking home, hands stuffed in his pockets, trying to think of what to do when a soft sound from a nearby alley caught his attention. Curiosity got the better of him and he slipped into the alley in pursuit of the soft sound. Mewing? He gently nudged a box aside and found himself peering down at a frightened kitten pressed up against the alley wall. It flattened its ears and hissed in defiance, but ultimately it didn’t run. Perhaps it was too cold?

He couldn’t help but smile sadly at the sight. A pathetic little thing surrounded by snow, how could he not feel a kind of kinship with it? He sighed softly, wishing he had something to offer it, and was surprised to suddenly feel it brush against his leg. Seeking warmth most likely.

“You must be cold, huh?” He gently picked the kitten up and tucked it tenderly into his coat. “I’ll take you home and warm you up.”

He stood up, carefully cradling the kitten through his jacket, and turned — to find Nines standing behind him with a bemused expression. Gavin flushed straight to his ears and took an awkward step back as he gasped. 

“N-Nines!”

The older man laughed warmly, gray eyes sparkling. “I never took you for a cat person, Gavin.”

Gavin ducked his head, wishing he could disappear into thin air to hide his embarrassment. “I don’t know… I’ve never had a pet or anything! I just…” He reached down to gently stroke the kitten’s head. “They’re cold and alone and… I know how that feels.”

Nines grinned at the boy and reached out to ruffle his hair as he tried to duck away. “You’re a good kid, Gavin. We’ll stop at the store on the way back home and get some food for the little thing.”

Despite his embarrassment, Gavin felt his heart pounding in his chest. It wasn’t every day that he got to see Nines smiling like this and, fuck, was he handsome when he did. “That’d be… really nice.” He was still blushing like mad but he was happier than he could express. Gavin scooted toward the older man and flashed him a bashful smile and leaned his head against the man’s arm. “Thanks Nines.” 

Nines ruffled his hair again and wrapped an arm around the boy’s shoulders. “You’re welcome, dear.”


End file.
